Lanterns and handheld lighting devices allow one to provide light where no installed light fixtures exist, for example, while camping, on outdoor patios, decks or pools, or where installed light fixtures provide inadequate lighting. Prior art lanterns and lighting devices allow the light emitting element, such as a fluorescent bulb or incandescent bulb, to be accessed and removed from the lantern. However, the prior art lanterns and lighting devices require disassembly of the lantern itself, to allow access to and replacement of the light emitting element from the lantern. For example, as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,860,729 and 7,202,614, access and removal of the light emitting element requires removal and handling of the transparent globe or cover. Alternatively, a top cover may be removed, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,663,697, which allows limited access to the light emitting element inside the transparent cover. Moreover, the lanterns of the prior art require reassembly and handling of several components of the lantern after an old light emitting element is replaced with a new one. The disassembly and reassembly of the lantern is time-consuming and requires the user to be capable of reassembling the device without misplacing the various components.
The prior art describes separating the globe from the lantern without removing the globe. As shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,014,459, the globe separates from the base of the lantern. While the globe is not removable and does not require reassembly, the globe must be separated from the lantern base to gain access to the light emitting element positioned inside the globe. The globe assembly must be kept open in order for a user to gain access to the light emitting element. Furthermore, slide rails impede access to the light emitting element as does the globe mounted to the rails.